Creationism, Beliefs in

Christian-Based Creationism

• 1.
  One of the oldest associations of creationists is the Flat Earth Society.While a seeming anachronism today, the Flat Earth Society maintains a lively discussion based on a literal translation of the biblical account of Noah and the Flood. Their view is that the earth is covered by a solid dome (firmament) and that attempts to “prove” the earth is round are biased, politically driven propaganda.
• 2.
  Geocentric creationists have had a resurgence in the past 20 years, notably led by Tom Will's movement to reform the Kansas school system curriculum. This version of creationism posits the earth as spherical but argues that the Earth, and not the sun, is the center of the universe. Using a literal interpretation of the Old Testament Hebrew cosmological assumption, the geocentric creationists have lobbied extensively to ban references to evolution, earth history, and scientific methods from public school textbooks and classrooms.
• 3.
  A controversial but influential work by the famed English naturalist, P. H. Gosse, Omphalos, published in 1857, united Christian fundamentalism and uniformitarianism. Gosse argued that our perception of age influences the way we see the earth. Predating Darwin's work by 2 years, Gosse maintained that the earth appears old to us but is really quite young. While he managed to affront both fundamentalists and scientists with his theories, it remains a work that is discussed in literature (Borges) and in science (Stephen Jay Gould) and by creationists.
• 4.
  Restitution creationists, or “gap creationists,” interpret the two creations of Genesis(Gen. 1 and Gen. 2) to account for the age of the Earth, and the relatively recent creation of life. According to this tradition,God created the ancient world in Genesis 1, and millions of years passed. Genesis 2 is God's recreation of the world, accomplished in a literal 6 days. This would then account for the age of the earth geologically, and for the recent arrival of human beings.
• 5.
  Day-age creationists interpret the 6 days of creation as a metaphor. Rather than a literal 24-hour day, each day stands for millions of years. In this way, they account for God's ongoing creation as well as the age of the earth.
• 6.
  Progressive creationists view modern science as providing evidence of God's power at work in the universe. The big bang theory is accepted in that it explains the Creator's immense grandeur. However, modern biology and evolutionary sciences are viewed with extreme skepticism, and this school maintains an essentialist position concerning the development of species.
• 7.
  An extremely influential book published by William Paley in 1802 has formed the basis of much creationist thought in what is termed intelligent design. In Natural Theology: or,Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity,Collected from the Appearances of Nature, Paley laid out the nature of intelligent design in the universe, or natural theology. The work echoes elements of Thomistic theology, adding to the spiritual philosophy elements of microbiology, mathematics, and logic. This area of creationism is especially adroit in its attacks on evolutionary science and scientific methodology and maintains that evolutionary sciences are in fact a form of materialist philosophy. Some influential groups that argue this position include the Discovery Institute and The Center for Renewal of Science and Culture.
• 8.
  Evolutionary creationism is yet another Christian-based school of thought that is based on a literal interpretation of the story of Genesis. It adds to this an acknowledgment of scientific objectivity. However, while all of nature depends on the will of God for its beingness, Creation took place before time as, we now experience it, was in place. Thus, there were biological human creatures prior to Adam and Eve, but Adam and Eve were the first spiritually aware beings.
• 9.
  Theistic evolution is a Christian position that is held by the larger Protestant denominations and by most Roman Catholics. In their creationist account, God created and is present in the evolutionary process. Most of contemporary scientific method and theory is acceptable here, as these disciplines shed light on how God works in human history. The Bible is generally used as an interpretive document that needs to be explained in light of new discoveries and insights. Thus, these creationists still posit a God that is outside the realm of science, and is unknowable in some areas (e.g., the creation of human souls).
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• 10.
  Young Earth creationists are often referred to as “scientific creationists.” This can cause some confusion, as their methodology is not scientific. Again, they rely on a literal interpretation of the Bible and follow Bishop Ussher's calculation of a 4,000-year-old Earth. And while they accept the concept of a heliocentric solar system, all of the Earth's processes are reduced to (a)the result of Noah's flood and (b) the sin of Adam and Eve.

The term scientific creationism is derived from the work of George McCready Price, a Seventh-Day Adventist who was deeply influenced by the visions of the prophetess, Helen White. Gaining a wide audience in the 20th century by melding science with Biblical interpretations, Price remains an important icon long after his death (ca. 1963). The basics of scientific creationism are similar to the above schools; that is, God created the universe, and biological life was created in its essential form. The first humans were a special creation at a certain point in time. Again, the evidence of geological history is proof of the Great Flood of Genesis. And while nature must obey fixed laws, the Creator can intervene at any time. The science of this form of creationism is essentially a study of teleology; humans are supposed to study creation in order to understand our ultimate destiny. In most cases, this is posited as a finite Earth and an apocalyptic ending.

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